SUBJECT:
GRADE LEVEL:
TYPE:
PRIMARY THEME:
TITLE:
HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCE
6
PRE/POST VISIT
PURSUIT OF DEMOCRACY AND DIVRESITY
CITIZENSHIP THEN AND NOW: COMPARING
ANCIENT ROME AND CONTEMPORARY
AMERICAN SOCIETY
> > > LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES
LESSON SUMMARY:
Students will be able to:
• compare and contrast the qualifications, rights and responsibilities of citizens in Ancient Rome and
contemporary American democratic society,
• identify implications for citizenship in contemporary American society,
• educate students and/or community members about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in contemporary
American society.
STANDARDS:
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Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures during the development
of Rome. (California Content Standards, History/Social Science, Grade 6, World History and Geography:
Ancient Civilizations, Standard 6.7)
Describe the government of the Roman Republic and its significance (e.g., written constitution and tripartite
government, checks and balances, civic duty). (California Content Standards,History/Social Science, Grade
6, World History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations, Standard 6.7.2)
Identify the location of and the political and geographic reasons for the growth of Roman territories and
expansion of the empire, including how the empire fostered economic growth through the use of currency and
trade routes. (California Content Standards, History/Social Science, Grade 6, World History and Geography:
Ancient Civilizations, Standard 6.7.3)
Students explain the central issues and problems from the past, placing people and events in a matrix of time
and place. (California Content Standards, History/Social Science, Grades 6-8, Historical and Social Sciences
Analysis Skills: Historical Interpretation, Standard 1)
Students understand and distinguish cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events, including the
long- and short-term causal relations. (California Content Standards, History/Social Science, Grades 6-8,
Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills: Historical Interpretation, Standard 2)
Students explain the sources of historical continuity and how the combination of ideas and events explains the
emergence of new patterns. (California Content Standards, History/Social Science, Grades 6-8, Historical
and Social Sciences Analysis Skills: Historical Interpretation, Standard 3)
ASSESSMENT:
Essay or selective response multiple choice test asking students to respond to item #5 below.
RUBRIC
Feedback and evaluation of the essay will be given using a rubric appropriate to this grade level, and include such
elements as: 4= Meets or Exceeds the Standards for Content and Writing. 3= Meets the Standard but does not
Exceed. 2= Minimum for passing and need improvement. 1= did not meet the Standards and needs re-teaching.
Selective Response. Multiple Choice. True False.
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MUSIC EVOKES MEMORIES AND EMOTIONS
INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND STRATEGIES:
1. Introductory Activity: Ask students to brainstorm the idea of “citizenship.” “What comes to mind when you
think of the word, ‘citizenship’?” Students work individually to record their responses on a graphic organizer
such as the one below. Students share responses in pairs or small groups. Encourage students to add ideas to
their graphic organizer. Conduct a quickwrite activity, “What does it mean to be a citizen?”
2. Citizenship in Ancient Rome: Ask students to conduct research in small collaborative groups to identify the
rights and responsibilities of citizens in Ancient Rome. “How did people become citizens of Ancient Rome?
What were their rights and responsibilities?”
Citizenship
3. Citizenship in an American Democracy: Ask students to conduct research in small collaborative groups to
identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens in contemporary American democracy. Examine Voting
Military Service and Application for U.S. Citizenship. “How do people become American citizens? What are
their rights and responsibilities?” Use a graphic organizer such as the one below to record information.
Ancient Rome
Contemporary American
Democracy
Qualifications for
Citizenship
Rights of Citizens
Responsibilities of Citizens
4. Compare and Contrast: Ask students to compare and contrast issues of citizenship in Ancient Rome and
contemporary America. “What are the changes? Do American citizens have more or fewer rights than citizens
of Ancient Rome? More or fewer responsibilities?” Use a graphic organizer such as the one below to
compare and contrast ideas.
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Qualifications, Rights, and Responsibilities of Citizenship
5. Implications for Today’s Citizens: Ask students to brainstorm “What are the advantages to being a citizen in
American society today compared to being a citizen in Ancient Rome? What are the disadvantages? What
can be done to educate students and/or members of the community about the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship?”
American
Democracy
Ancient Rome
6. Service Learning Activity: Ask students to develop and implement a program to educate students and/or
community members about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society. Program
activities may include:
• Development and dissemination of a brochure
• Small group discussion forums
• Community event including guest speakers, legislators, or other public officials
• Public debate
TIME ELEMENT:
5-6 class periods. 50 minutes per class
MATERIALS/RESOURCES:
Glossary of Terms: Republic, Consul, Patrician, Plebeian, Debt Bondage
Hand out of Picture of Roman Government 264 B.C., Chapter 13, page 410 of
Textbook A Message of Ancient Days, Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
AUTHOR:
Michael Redden
SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER
MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE
9786 WEST PICO BOULEVARD
LOS ANGELES, CA 90035
310.553.8403
WWW.MUSEUMOFTOLERANCE.COM
DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DIVISION OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES, LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
ISBN 0-943058-72-4
© SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE 2003
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